miRNA Regulation Network Analysis in Qianliening Capsule Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

The pathological growth of the prostate gland in atherogenic contexts

The human prostate is an androgen-dependent gland where an imbalance in cell proliferation can lead to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which results in voiding lower urinary tract symptoms in the elderly. In the last decades, novel evidence has suggested that BPH might represent an element into the wide spectrum of disorders conforming the Metabolic Syndrome (MS). The dyslipidemic state and the other atherogenic factors of the MS have been shown to induce, maintain and/or aggravate the pathological growth of different organs, with data regarding the prostate being still limited. We here review the available epidemiological and experimental studies about the association of BPH with dyslipidemias. In particular, we have focused on Oxidized Low-Density Lipoproteins (OxLDL) as a potential trigger for vascular disease and cellular proliferation in atherogenic contexts, analyzing their putative molecular mechanisms, including the induction of specific extracellular vesicles (EVs)-derived miRNAs. In addition to the epidemiological evidence, OxLDL is proposed to play a fundamental role in the upregulation of prostatic cell proliferation by activating the Rho/Akt/p27^Kip1 pathway in atherogenic contexts. miR-21, miR-141, miR-143, miR-145, miR-155, and miR-221 would be involved in the transcription of genes related to the proliferative process. Although much remains to be investigated regarding the impact of OxLDL, its receptors, and molecular mechanisms on the prostate, it is clear that EVs and miRNAs represent a promising target for proliferative pathologies of the prostate gland.

Regulation of microRNAs by rape bee pollen on benign prostate hyperplasia in rats

The miRNAs are dysregulated in BPH. Rape bee pollen (RBP) is used to improve benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Whether RBP treats BPH by regulating the dysregulated miRNAs remains unclear. Here, we identified miRNAs regulated along with the improvement of BPH by RBP in posterior lobes of prostate in rats. Firstly, to screened miRNAs might relate to improvement of BPH by RBP, we compared differentially expressed miRNAs between BPH model group and RBP group by high-throughput sequencing. As a result, 10 known miRNAs and 17 novel miRNA were up-regulated in RBP group, and 6 known and 13 novel miRNAs were down-regulated. Secondly, among the known miRNAs, we identified those that might relate to BPH by RT-qPCR, while only rno-miR-184 was screened, so we compared it among normal control group, BPH model group and RBP group. The results showed that rno-miR-184 was significantly lower expressed in BPH group, but up-regulated along with the improvement of BPH by RBP. Moreover, expression level of rno-miR-184 was no difference between RBP group and normal control level. Therefore, we considered that RBP might improve BPH through regulating expression of miRNAs like rno-miR-184 in prostate in rats.

Effects of Qianlie Tongqiao Capsule on Bladder Weight and Growth Factors in Bladder Tissue of Rats with Testosterone-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Qianlie Tongqiao Capsule (QTC) is clinically confirmed to be efficacious and safe in treating lower urinary tract syndromes and bladder dysfunction that are induced by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, the functional mechanisms of QTC remain unclear. We aim to investigate the effects of QTC on both bladder weight and several growth factors in the bladder tissue of rats with testosterone-induced BPH. BPH in the rats was established through bilateral orchiectomy and subcutaneous administration of testosterone propionate (5 mg/kg) dissolved in corn oil. At the end of the study, all bladder tissues were collected and weighed, and a histological examination was conducted using H&E staining. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were applied to detect the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and transformation growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the bladder tissue. The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in the bladder tissue was tested by Western Blot and qRT-PCR. We found that QTC, especially when administered in high-dosages, had a significant inhibitory effect on bladder weight gain and overexpression of NGF, bFGF, and TGF-β1 in rats with BPH. In addition, QTC downregulated and upregulated protein and mRNA expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in the bladder after prostatic obstruction, respectively. Furthermore, QTC balanced the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Overall, these results reveal possible functional mechanisms of QTC in treating BPH-caused bladder dysfunction, and further studies are needed.